1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to disk devices, and more particularly to a disk device constructed such that a disk cartridge accommodating a disk-shaped recording medium is inserted in the device and mounted therein. Still more specifically, the present invention relates to an improvement relating to a mechanism for mounting an inserted disk cartridge so as to be in a state in which recording/reproducing is enabled.
2. Description of the Background Art
A magnetic disk device is known as one type of disk devices described above. A magnetic disk device performs magnetic recording and reproduction using a disk cartridge accommodating a flexible magnetic disk (disk-shaped recording medium), wherein the cartridge is inserted from outside and mounted in the device (the device is loaded).
A conventional magnetic disk apparatus mainly comprises, for example, a slider and a holder provided on a chassis. The slider is latched to a predetermined position by means of a latch lever.
Specifically, when a magnetic disk cartridge accommodating a disk (recording medium) is inserted into a disk device and held in a holder, the cartridge activates a latch lever so as to allow the slider to slide toward a cartridge insertion opening. In an ejection operation, the slider is made to slide so as to release the latch lever from latching engagement, whereupon the cartridge is thrust and ejected out of the device.
FIG. 1 explains a latching operation of a latch lever of a conventional disk device. In a disk device 11 of FIG. 1, a latch lever 12 is rotatable around a pin 13. The latch lever 12 comprises: a contact part 12a which comes into contact with a disk cartridge 14; and an latching part 12b engageable with an engaging pawl 17 of an engagement part 16 of a slider 15.
The slider 15 is urged in the A direction by means of a spring 18. A groove 16a for allowing substantially conically shaped positioning pins 19a and 19b (the pin 19b is not shown) formed on a chassis (not shown) to be exposed is formed in the engagement part 16. The disk cartridge 14 has a shutter 14a which is openable and closable using the contact part 12a of the latch lever 12. Engaging depressions 14b1 and 14b2 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B) engageable with the positioning pins 19, respectively, are formed in the disk cartridge 14.
When the disk cartridge 14 is not inserted in the disk device 11, the engaging pawl 17 of the engagement part 16 of the slider 15 is latched to an inner curved edge 12b1 of the latching part 12b of the latch lever 12, and the contact part 12a is at a terminal position displaced toward the cartridge insertion opening (in the A direction).
When the disk cartridge 14 is inserted (in the B direction) into a holder (not shown) via the insertion opening, the end of the disk cartridge 14 is engaged with the contact part 12a of the latch lever 12. By thrusting the disk cartridge 14 further into the device, the latch lever 12 is rotated in the C direction indicated by an arrow. Due to the rotation of the latch lever 12, the shutter 14a of the disk cartridge 14 is moved in the D direction indicated by an arrow so that a head window 14c is opened. The engaging pawl 17 is unlatched from the inner curved edge 12b1 of the latching part 12b of the latch lever 12 and slides to a straight part 12b2.
Thereupon, the engaging pawl 17 moves along the straight part 12b2 in the E direction indicated by an arrow. That is, the slider 15 slides in the A direction indicated by an arrow by a force of the spring 18. In this state, the holder is lowered so that the disk medium in the disk cartridge 14 is chucked by a spindle motor (not shown), and the engaging depressions 14b1 and 14b2 of the disk cartridge 14 are engaged with the positioning pins 19a and 19b, respectively. Thus, the disk cartridge 14 is properly positioned.
Even when the engaging pawl 17 of the slider 15 is disengaged from the latch lever 12 due to the insertion of the disk cartridge 14 so that the slider 15 is allowed to slide, the contact part 12a of the latch lever 12 urges the disk cartridge 14 in the F direction indicated by an arrow.
FIGS. 2A and 2B show a relationship between the latch lever and the disk cartridge shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2A is a top view, and FIG. 2B is a side cross sectional view. Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the maintaining of the urging force exerted in the F direction by the contact part 12a of the latch lever 12 even when the latching engagement is absent, may result in the engaging depressions 14b1 and 14b2 settling on the slope of the conically shaped positioning pins 19a and 19b, respectively, while the disk cartridge 14 is being lowered due to the lowering of the holder. Accordingly, there is a problem in that a loading error may occur, wherein the disk cartridge 14 is not lowered to a preset position.
There is another problem that may occur in a process including the insertion and mounting of the disk cartridge. This problem will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
FIGS. 3 and 4 are plan views showing the shutter 14a of the magnetic disk cartridge 14. FIG. 3 is a top view, and FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the cartridge 14.
A cartridge main body 10 constituting the cartridge 14 is provided with a groove 10c at the lower major surface thereof, the groove 10c extending in the X1-X2 direction. Pawls 14a-2 and 14a-3 formed in the shutter 14a are engaged with the groove 10c. The shutter 14a moves in the X1-X2 direction while the pawls 14a-2 and 14a-3 are guided by the groove 10c. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the shutter is closed and resides at an end position displaced in the X2 direction.
However, when the cartridge 14 is inserted forcibly in the conventional disk device 11, a relatively large force is exerted on the shutter 14a as the shutter 14a begins to be opened. As a result, the pawls 14a-2 and 14a-3 of the shutter 14a may be dislodged from the groove 10c so as to reside on the surface of the cartridge main body 10 near the groove 10c. Thus, the conventional magnetic disk 11 has a problem in that the shutter 14a and the cartridge main body 10 may come apart.
Still another problem that may occur during the disk cartridge 14 insertion and mounting operation will be described below.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are cross sectional views of a conventional thin magnetic disk device comprising a frame 2 and a front bezel 3. The frame 2 is provided with raised parts 19c and 19d for positioning the magnetic disk cartridge 14 at a preset position. The raised part 19c has, at its center, the positioning pin 19a (19b) tapered toward the top. As shown in FIG. 6 on an enlarged scale, the front bezel 3 has a lower beam 3A and a upper beam 3B. The beams 3A and 3B are formed with notches 3A-1 and 3B-1, respectively, so that the magnetic disk cartridge insertion operation is easily performed. The lower beam 3A has a recessed step portion 3A-2 adjacent to the frame 2. The front of the lower beam 3A has a raised portion 3A-3 formed by the presence of the recessed step portion 3A-2. The recessed step portion 3A-2 forms, above its upper major surface, a space 4 for accommodating a rear edge 14b of the magnetic disk cartridge 14 when the magnetic disk cartridge 14 is inserted. As shown in FIG. 5B, the raised portion 3A-3 acts to hide a part of the inserted magnetic disk cartridge 14.
The magnetic disk device shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B has a magnetic disk cartridge mounting mechanism 5 comprising a holder 5A.
As shown in FIG. 5B, the magnetic disk cartridge 14 is mounted in a preset position such that the positioning depression 14d of a lower face 14c are engaged with the positioning pins 19a (19b), the lower face 14c rests on the raised parts 19c and 19d, and the rear edge 14b is accommodated in the space 4.
The mounting operation of the magnetic disk cartridge 14 is carried out in the following manner.
(1) An operator inserts the magnetic disk cartridge 14 from an opening 3a into the holder 5A, the shutter 14A at the leading edge of the cartridge.
(2) As shown in FIG. 5A, the operator uses his or her finger to thrust a rear end 14e of the magnetic disk cartridge 14 until the tip of the finger comes into contact with the notches 3A-1 and 3B-1 of the front bezel 3. In this way, the entirety of the magnetic disk cartridge 14 introduced into the magnetic disk device.
(3) When the magnetic disk cartridge 14 is settled in a position shown in FIG. 5A, the magnetic disk cartridge 14 releases the magnetic disk cartridge mounting mechanism 5 from a latch (not shown) so that the magnetic disk cartridge mounting mechanism 5 is activated.
In this state, the magnetic disk cartridge 14 is positioned such that the positioning depression 14d reside directly above the positioning pin 19a (19b), the rear end 14e resides at a position P2 slightly displaced in the A direction indicated by an arrow with respect to a position P1 of the edge of the raised portion 3A-3 of the lower beam 3A, and a front end 14i of the disk cartridge 14 resides at a position P10.
When the magnetic disk cartridge mounting mechanism 5 is activated, the holder 5A is moved in the Z2 direction to reach a height H2.
The magnetic disk cartridge 14 is lowered vertically together with the holder 5A so as to be mounted as shown in FIG. 5B.
It will be noted that, in order for the magnetic disk cartridge 14 to be mounted properly, the rear end 14e needs to be introduced deep enough into the device to reach the position P2 beyond the raised portion 3A-3 of the front bezel 3.
However, in thin magnetic disk devices in which the opening 3a of the front bezel is relatively narrow, the magnetic disk cartridge 14 may not be positioned at the position P2 (P10) without the finger of the operator being pressed hard against the front bezel 3.
As described above, the conventional magnetic disk device has a drawback with regard to the operability of the magnetic disk cartridge mounting operation.
There is another drawback with the conventional magnetic disk device in that, when the cartridge 14 is ejected forcibly, an oscillation may cause the latch lever 12 to be disengaged from the shutter 14a with the result that a magnetic head may be gripped by the shutter 14a.